Speaking of Todd Monken, Jake Rowe does a spring preview and wonders about something.
What we don’t know: The only thing we can really put a finger on here is the identity and growth of the offense. Just how much did UGA settle in at the end of last season? The Bulldogs were pass-heavy in two of the final four games and one of the contests, the blowout win of Missouri was very much balanced.
What Rowe sees as a bug I see as a feature. Of those four games, the Mississippi State and Cincinnati games featured defenses that sold out against the run and dared Daniels to beat them through the air. South Carolina did the opposite and was mauled on the ground. Missouri tried to take a middle approach and got burned both ways.
All that shows me an offensive coordinator who’s grasped the first rule of playcalling: take what the defense gives you. That may not be an identity, but, when your offense averaged seven and a half yards per play, more than a yard and a quarter over its season average, it’ll do until an identity comes along.
Get The Picture 
Monken does a great job of taking what the defense gives. He did it all season but UGA did a poor job of hitting open receivers.
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If you do it and they can’t stop it, keep doing it until they show you they can stop it. Being versatile pays off when you can adjust what you do. UGA has always been able to run the ball, but last year JT gave us a weapon we haven’t had in a while. Balance, to me, means we can run and throw effectively, not that the plays are 50/50 run/throw in any one game. Stack the box? We burn you throwing. Flood the coverage? Here comes the run game. Pick your poison, but it’s going to kill your D either way.
Suddenly, we have talent and depth at WR. We’ve always had it at RB. Pair that with a deep, talented defense, and all I can say is look out below. 🙂
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Monken does not believe in balance, thank goodness.
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What makes you say that? You don’t think he wants the offense to be equally proficient at both running and throwing? Not being balanced means you can’t do what they give you if the thing they give you, you can’t do well. Not being balanced means that if all you can do is throw and the defense tries to take that away you’re forcing it. I’d say he’s a big believer in balance.
If you’re saying he isn’t looking to throw it an equal number of times as running it in a single game, I’d totally agree with that.
Over the course of a season? I think you’ll see some semblance of balance.
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He won’t throw and run an equal number of times each game. He knows the offense needs to have the ability to run or throw but he’s comfortable doing either 55 times in a game if that’s what’s going to score.
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balance is to run when you want to & pass when you want……or to take what they give you. Not 50/50.
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Can’t go broke taking a profit. It’s amazing how many OCs don’t understand this.
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Yep, Winning is an identity.
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What school of Economics did you go to?????
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Run and pass with equal success … that’s a recipe for an offense that will score a lot of points, generate a bunch of yards, and protect a defense that may need some help early in the season.
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Have a balanced attack. But… Attack the defense where it is weakest. If it is a good defense, then take what the defense gives you. That’s what a balanced attack does for you. Especially if you have a rock solid QB, who understands his own offense and is willing to embrace his OC’S philosophy and work to understand it and the defense he is going up against.
And that is what we are all hoping for this fall.
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Hey Dabo, Zeus is going up the middle on first down. Dabo loads the box. JT hits Pickens on a post route for a TD. This is going to be a fun season.
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Or Washington in the gap left by the linebackers.
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I suspect Monken will emphasize the run early to force defenses into looks that give Daniels easier reads in the passing game. Especially on “standard downs,” like 1st and 10 and 2nd and 5.
I’ll be watching obvious passing downs. Can Daniels and the receivers make it rain when the defense knows it’s coming? Hopefully, taking what the defense gives minimizes those downs, but that’s where really elite offenses separate themselves.
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I dont know about game 1, but JT is a field commander. He’s going to read and change a lot. We’ll run a good bit in the 1st half against clemson. Thats part of the 4Q game plan Kirby runs, beating them down. I just expect it won’t be as mind numbing.
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The chess match between Venables and Monken will be interesting. Ohio State had a lot of success just putting a guy into motion and then snapping it while Clemson’s D was in the middle of an adjustment. Got to the edge easily on a few occasions with that.
Clemson gave up 254 on the ground, 5.77 a pop to OSU. On top of the 6 passing TDs.
Daniels has to be licking his chops watching that tape.
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When Bama blew the lid off of using motion this past season, I am really wondering if we don’t need to adjust those rules. Poor defenses.
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I just want our identity to be score lot’s of touchdowns.
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My man.
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Q: What’s your offensive identity?
A: Touchdowns
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I’d buy that for a dollar.
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Being able to attack a defense at any point of the field seems like a pretty good identity to me. I don’t care about being a great rushing or passing team. I care about doing both well enough that we can attack whatever weakness the opposing defense has.
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Monken’s offense has an identity: Score with whatever it takes to do it.
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Can we cheat???????
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I like what I’ve seen since Daniels started, but I really am anxious to see him against really good teams.
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The offense will look great till it faces a good defense. Then like other offenses with no real identity or system other than standing around waiting for an athlete to make a big play it will fall flat
Lucky for Georgia we only play a few teams that can expose this
That being said Monken has no real system other than try and get a few players touches ….. I would much rather have a true play caller with a system that really makes a team better
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There were open receivers on damn near every play last season.
If Luke can settle on 5, look out.
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